the good, the bad and the... bodily fluids.

My sister-in-law and I were recently discussing, okay dissecting, the absurdity of those "supermom' posts.  You know the ones; 'Yayy! Scrubbed the kitchen floor by hand today, we're having home made (something I can't even pronounce!) for dinner and still had time to venture into the meadow so the kiddos could paint with their personalized easels!!'  Seriously?!  We decided they are withholding a significant amount of information.  'Supermom' also has a live-in maid.. or three extra pairs of hands.  Oh, and never sleeps.
No one actually pulls these things off on a regular basis, do they?!  Or am I just the world's biggest slacker?  You read these things, comment 'Wow.. aren't you amazing!?" and then hang your head, begin doubting your abilities and suddenly notice a kitchen floor that hasn't been scrubbed in... well, a LONG time.  Oh, and maybe leftovers are not an acceptable menu item?

Unfortunately, when I take a step back I realize that, gulp, I'm guilty of this, too!  Maybe we all are?  We want to revel in the successful, the accomplishments and that superb family outing last weekend!  Who doesn't?!  And there is nothing wrong with that!  But I rarely post about the ordinary, the not-so-successful, the day I stayed in yoga pants until 2pm..  the downright HARD.  'Changed nine diapers today.. only got peed on once!  Resorted to Hamburger Helper for dinner (yikes!) and forgot to pay the phone bill.. woohoo!'
So, I'm here to apologize for the times I present an unrealistic view of life in the Pearl house.  I'm here to admit that for every home made apple pie and crafty little project there are also unmade beds, a pile of diapers that need washing and dishes to scrub.  We're living life over here..one day at a time.  And by no means is it perfect or organic or even organized, but we really love it!  And I'm willing to bet your family would say the same.. regardless of whether or not you've had time to decorate the house with hand crafted, cutesy Thanksgiving decorations (I'll have to discuss my love/hate relationship with Pinterest in another post..)

You don't have all the answers.. no one does.  But I'm here to say, 'YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB!!'  You show up.  You love with all your heart and that's what matters.  This doesn't just apply to mothers.  No matter where you're at in life, there's never a shortage of guilt-trip material.  Here's another disclaimer to lighten your load:  For every 'Yes! I love a good run in the morning..' post, I should also admit to the time my 'post-workout snack' was a slice of cheesecake!  Seriously, whatever path you're on.. mother, student, brand new wife, working your way up the ladder at work.. YOU ARE AMAZING!!  You take it one day at a time; things don't always turn out as anticipated but you don't give up.
I'm absolutely crazy about this life.  I'm just saying I don't have it all together; NO ONE has it all together.  Don't think for a minute that they do.  I'm here to admit that for all the times Derek comes home to a cooing baby, home cooked meal and mascara wearing wife, there are also plenty of other times.  Times when Owen is fussy after refusing to surrender to an afternoon nap, when brushing my hair was the farthest thing from my mind and when, yes, we are having spaghetti for the third time.  (Side note: on that particular day my husband came in the door with a melty ice cream cone that he savored all the way home from work, in order to share half with me!  Yes, it brought tears to my eyes.  I really like him.)

It's not easy to write this.  But it matters.  And I'm not saying I will refrain from ever sharing success stories!  I mean, come on!  Those nights Owen goes 12 hours.. yeah, that's post-worthy!  I have the best husband in the world and often feel the need to shout, 'I'M IN LOVE, I'M IN LOVE AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT!'   God has blessed my little family, there's no denying it.  But maybe I should spend a little less time posting and a little more time.. spreading.  In a picture-perfect, extra-curricular, gluten free world, it's easy to feel bogged down.  Simply hearing 'Your baby is lucky to have parents like you!' goes a long way.  I know it did for us, coming from a complete stranger at Subway!
Proverbs 16:24 'Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.'
Being Derek's wife and Owen's mom is a blessing, a privilege and, I believe.. part of my calling!  But I wasn't always a wife, a mom.  For the majority of my life I've just been.. me!  So, now I learn.  I mess up.  I grow.  And I'm incredibly grateful for those who come alongside me on this journey and share!  Share life; the successes, yes.. but also (mostly) the faults, blowouts and hard lessons learned.  We can't journey with people until we're willing to be real.  No, I'm not saying we should all start posting every failure and embarrassing moment.  But let's commit to encouraging and building up.  Admit that you're not supermom, that you're held together by the love and grace of Jesus and a few baby slobbers!  Compliment someone today.. just do it.  Be real; journey with those God has placed in your life!  And let's face it, we all know that the best stories include some type of bodily fluid..
1 Thessalonians 5:11 'Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.'